Physical activity – What if my child has asthma? - BHF National ...

Racquet and net gamesRacquet and net games such as badminton or table tennisare ideal activities for children and young people withasthma, as they involve brief bursts of activity. Badmintonis ideal as the shuttlecock travels slowly and the court isquite small. Tennis and squash usually involve more constantactivity and are faster paced. Your child may struggle to copewith a full game of tennis, but may find short tennis easier.Striking and fielding gamesActivities such as cricket, softball and rounders may be idealfor children and young people with asthma. These gamestend to include brief bursts of activity followed by shortbreaks. Also, the pace of the game can be adapted to suitdifferent abilities.Yoga, pilates and T’ai ChiThese are excellent activities for children and youngpeople with asthma, as they relax the body and mayhelp with breathing.Cycling, rollerblading and skateboardingThese activities can be great fun. They are perfect forchildren and young people with asthma as they can controlhow fast or how slow they want to go!Every child’s and young person’s condition is different.If you have any concerns or queries about your childbeing active, always ask your child’s doctor or asthmanurse.Gymnastics and dancingChildren and young people with asthma rarely experienceany difficulties with gymnastics, aerobic dance or dancing.These are ideal activities, as they lend themselves to briefbursts of activity. Your child can set their own pace and caninclude active rest periods (see page 21).Complete rest in between bursts of activity is notadvised, as this can trigger exercise-induced asthma.22 23